Gilchrist has no plans to quit after World Cup

Kingstown (St Vincent):Australia vice-captain Adam Gilchrist returns to action after paternity leave on Friday refreshed, invigorated and with no plans to retire from either test or one-day cricket after the World Cup.

Gilchrist missed the 3-0 defeat to New Zealand last month and arrived in the Caribbean late on Monday after the birth of his third child.

He watched Tuesday's opening warm-up match against Zimbabwe from the pavilion but will be back in action against England on Friday. The event proper starts on March 13.

"I had a fantastic time off since the arrival of our third child," he told reporters at the world champions' practice session on Wednesday.

"Everything is going well so it's nice to have that little break from cricket and get that more important business of family well and truly sorted and now get back and focus on the cricket.

"Everyone could probably have done with a little bit of a freshener, getting that little bit of time was very timely."

Gilchrist is by common acclaim the finest wicketkeeper-batsman to play either Test or one-day cricket.

But he is now 35 and there has been speculation that the demands of opening the batting in one-day cricket as well as keeping wicket might prompt him to drop out of limited overs cricket, at least, after next month's final.

"I haven't thought about finishing after this," he said. "I have never been one to sit down and plot out my goals. It's just about playing the game and having the enthusiasm to do it, that's pretty much where it stays.

"I don't think now in my career is the time to start plotting things like that. If I do it probably tells me that I need that to motivate me. "I haven't needed that throughout my career, so I just keep playing and try to be part of a successful team."

Gilchrist said Friday's 13-a-side game against England who defeated the Australians 2-0 in the recent tri-series final would be another opportunity for the champions to hone their skills before the tournament starts in earnest next week.

"We have seen a lot of them," he said. "We have to play them again and hopefully again in the World Cup proper. It's been a good tussle. It will be a good challenge for us."Australia face South Africa, the Netherlands and Scotland in Group A.